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TEL AVIV: Hairs Apparent

Are Tel Aviv actually from Tel Aviv?

These are the burning questions that characterise ANBAD’s thinking when introduced to a new band; before much more important questions like, ‘do they sound good?’ and ‘just what do their haircuts look like?’

Judge all you like.

Regardless, Tel Aviv do have something. I struggled for a while to put my finger on it. Then it hit me.

I know the exact moment the song tripped over that thin line into “hmmm, interesting” territory.It was at the 1m45s point, where some background studio chatter was left, low, in the mix. I love that kind of stuff.

We’re now in a low-fi age, where does everything for themselves, and yet because everyone has access to equipment and programmes and websites and self-distribution networks and so on, that conversely almost everything everyone makes sounds sliiiiick.

Surely this freedom would create scruffy artists? The ones that have the tiny human touches that make songs seem to connect directly to our id?

Maybe these are just idle dreams. But the best songs really do have these touches (just ignore the id and ask your super-ego). And Thriller has almost enough of this to counter-balance the smooth, smooooooth sound it peddles. Ones to keep an eye on.